The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-07
A STEAMSHIP BURNED.
A Passing Vessel Rcscucs All On
Board Save Thirteen.

A Passing Vessel Rcscucs All On
Board Save Thirteen.
The big ocean steamship City of Montreal,
of the Inman line, was destroyed, by fire dur
ing her last voyage from New York to Queens
town. There were no first-class passengers
on board. She had Il crew of 81; interlnedi-
ate passengers, p; steerage, 125. She was
loaded with cotton. Her value was estimated
at s3T5, 900, and her cargo was said to have
been worth $350,OOJ more. 4 special cable
dispatch from London to the New York
World gives the following particulars of the
steamships loss and the rescue of most of the
passengers and crew, who had taken to the
boats, by passing vessel;
1t appears that everything went well with
the City of Montreal until last Wednesday
night Tho weather until then was fine. At
about 10 o'clock that night the cry of fire was
given throughout the ship Most of the pas
sengers had turned in early, as is the custom
aboard ship, and some were in their first
sleep, from which they were rudely aroused.
The smoke, which increased very rapidly, be-
gan to fill the cabins and to darken the lig hts
throughout the ship. In a very short time
all the passengers were dressed and on deck.
The seat of the fire was i'll the after main
hold, among a large number of COZ
ton bales, and the utmost activity
and energy was being displayed by
the captain, with his officers and men, in seek
ing out the locality of the fire and In pouring
down water to eXtinguish it. 1t seemed to be
so far conquered that it permitted OF beng
covered up, the captain hoping to keep the
fire under with view of running the ship to
the nearest port, which was st. Johns, New
foundland, about four hundred miles of.
The course was shaped for this, but the lull in
the smouldering fire proved delusive, for
though checked in the after hatch it unex-
pectedly burst out in another hatch midway
in the ship, and from the force and violence
of the combustion itsoon became evident that
all hopes of saving the ship were at an end.
Attention was then promptly given to the
only means of rescue-by the boats. There
were eight OH board-four lifeboatS and four
pinnaces-capable of carrying, without un-
due strain, but with little room to spare, all
on board. All available hands were set to
work in their different spheres to prepare
provisions, to free the running gear. to see to
the state of the boats and to hold all in reaul-
ness.
At about o'clock in the morning the fire
had so gained that the inevitable moment
had come to leave the ship. All the paSSen-
gers were assembled on deck, each one in
cased in life preserver, presenting pictures
of human misery and almost helpless despair,
such as words cannot describe. Mothers
clasped to their bosoms with fervency pro-
portioned to the danger their helpless chill
dren, and husbands and wives embraced each
other for what they felt to be in all probabil-
ity the last time. go
BY an oversight which was the fault of the
rersons themselves, q few of the passengers
and crew were left behind in the burning
ship because they had gone aft instead of to
the fore part of the vessel and were hidden
from sight by dense clouds of smoke, but they
were in due time discovered and rescued, two
boats putting back against great peril. Thus
all were freed from the danger of burning,
and had only to face the milder danger OF
drowning. BY careful forethought and
clever management, and rare good luck as
well, every boat was safely cleared from the
dangerous proximity to the ship and all had
got at least fair start. with equal chances.
Among the nineteen at first left on board
there was fine, brave young fellow belong
Coward, who thought he would take last
survey of the horizon from the vantage
ground Of the bridge.
To his Joy he dis.erned and reported the
appcarance of the masts Of a ship just rising
within the range of vision. A moments care
full survey with the aid of the Captains field
glass discovered that the approaching vessel
Dark unQer lull SAIL Ills VESSEL ~ lOi
tunately sighted was steered for under direc-
tions given by seaman who had noted her
bearing for some time. 1t was rowing upon
faith, for the vessel could not be seen over the
tops Of the high rolling waves
One boat, however, was lost sight OF by
others. She contained the steward, ships in
terpreter, four seamen and seven passengers.
The boat was not full of occupants, and thos,
who were in it are regarded as having been
guilty of cowardice and selfishness in leaving
the burning ship without full load while
they we're ignorant of whether any other
passengers remained on board to perish in the
flames.
A vessel which now hove in sight and in
which all hope was now centere1 proved to be
the steamer York City, Captain Benn, bound
from Baltimore to London. She was attract
ed to the scene by the huge flames which IL
Illuminated sea and sky for miles around.
The crew or the York City did all in their
power to secure the safety of the laden boats,
and with care and skill rescued their occu,
pants from their dangerous position. All
were safely housed on board with the eXcep-
tion of the boat already referred to as lost.
At D. m. Friday the York City trans
ferred the rescued party to the tug Lord BAN
don, of Queenstown halbor, and shortly after,
wards the rescuing steamer resumed
her voyage to London, while the ship